How does Black Twitter follow the tradition of Black humor? Connect this phenomenon to at least two distinct concepts from the Black Laughter/Humor readings. Meaning, explain how Black Twitter connects to/demonstrates at least two of the following Black Humor concepts: 1. Economy of Laughter, 2. Humor of Absurdity, and/or 3. Reversal of Roles
resources for paper:
https://womensmediacenter.com/fbomb/the-importance-of-black-twitter
https://mashable.com/article/best-moments-black-twitter
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53588201
At its core, black humor in the United States that developed during slavery was a survival method, and nothing short of resistance. African American humor was designed for black people, by black people, on the plantation, and, for the most part, were not understood by white folks. Jokes and humor were/are a way for enslaved Africans/Black people to communicate their true feelings about racism and slavery, and speak to each other in coded communication (an ongoing concept in our class–Black art as resistance), which generally was not understood by, and went over the heads of White slaveowners/White folks in general.
In the case of enslaved Africans, humor served many purposes, both for entertainment and practicality. Humor can be understood as a coping mechanism. For enslaved Africans, it was absolutely that, and more. Humor allowed enslaved Africans to navigate the racism, oppression, and degradation they faced on the plantation in practical ways. It was a tool of sorts, and arguably, remains so.